This invention relates to novel perfluoropolymers and to methods for their preparation. In a more particular aspect, this invention concerns itself with methods for the polymerization of octafluoronaphthalene and to the novel compounds prepared thereby. The resultant reaction products are useful in a wide variety of electrical, chemical and aerospace applications. They are inert, low melting solids with thermal stability as well as excellent adhesivness to glass and untreated Teflon and metal surfaces. They can also be used as precursors in the synthesis of polyfunctional fluorocarbons.
The present interest in the utilization of fluorocarbon compounds for a number of industrial applications has spawned a considerable research effort in an attempt to provide new compounds and novel routes of synthesis. For example, it is known that elemental fluorine will homopolymerize hexafluorobenzene and pentafluoropyridine to mainly a hexafluorocyclohexadienyl liquid oligomer and a perfluoroazacyclohexadienyl glassy solid respectively. The copolymerizability of bis(fluoroxy) difluoromethane with perfluoroaromatic (C.sub.6 F.sub.6), perfluoro-N-heteroaromatic (C.sub.5 F.sub.5 N), and parabonded perfluoroaromatic (Dewar C.sub.6 F.sub.6) is also known. The purpose was to interpose stable --OCF.sub.2 O-- linking groups between six-membered ring moieties. For example, moieties were generated from copolymerizing with hexafluorobenzene, with pentafluoropyridine, and with hexafluorobicyclo [2.2.0]hexa-2,5-diene. These copolymers, however, did not form simple alternate microstructures due to concurrent fluorination and pendant perfluoro-1,3-dioxolane ring formation.
In an attempt to overcome this problem, the research effort referred to above, was maintained and it was unexpectedly discovered that even more interesting and useful products could be synthesized by effecting the polymerization of octafluoronaphthalene by reacting it with mono- and difluoroxyperfluoroalkanes. It was found that the octafluoronaphthalene monomer could be readily homopolymerized in the presence of monofluoroxyperfluoroalkane CF.sub.3 OF and copolymerized with difluoroxyperfluoroalkane, CF.sub.2 (OF).sub.2 through aromatic nuclear addition reactions.